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How do you check a contractor license in California?

California contractor licenses are issued by the Contractors State License Board, and its online Check A License page searches by license number or business name; looking a contractor up there is an optional public-record step you can take yourself before you sign a contract.

Source: Contractors State License Board, About Us, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

The license lookup is yours to run on the state's site.

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Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 16 October 2026

Key facts

Where is the California contractor license lookup?

The lookup sits on the CSLB website as Check a Contractor License, and it takes a license number, a business name or a person's name; the board says each search returns the status of the license it finds.

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

The CSLB page, read 16 October 2026, starts with the number: "Enter the contractor license number to check the status of their license."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

If you only have the name on a truck or a business card, the same page offers a second box: "Enter the Contractor Business Name to check the status of their license."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

The board's search tips describe what a real number looks like: "A California contractor license number doesn't contain alphabetic characters. Each contractor's plastic pocket license will show the respective license number."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

A salesperson who comes to the door to sell home improvement work is searched separately. The page says: "Enter the salespersons registration number to check the status of their registration."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

Plan around one gap in the service. The page says: "Please note: Our database is unavailable Sundays at 8 p.m. through Monday at 6 a.m. due to scheduled maintenance."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 16 October 2026.

Which California agency licenses contractors, and why?

One board covers construction trades statewide. The CSLB describes its own role this way: "The Contractors State License Board protects consumers by regulating the construction industry through policies that promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the public in matters relating to construction, including home improvement."

Source: Contractors State License Board, About Us, read 16 October 2026.

The board's consumer section frames its hiring material around the type of license, not around any one company: "These sections will help you select the right type of licensed contractor for your home improvement projects."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Hire a Contractor, read 16 October 2026.

Which California license classification fits your job?

Match the classification on the record to the work. The CSLB's classification page lists the branches of contracting as general engineering, general building, residential remodeling and specialty, with a separate specialty code for each trade such as electrical, heating and air conditioning, plumbing and roofing.

Source: Contractors State License Board, Licensing Classifications, read 16 October 2026.

The four branch headings, as the board prints them, are "(A) General Engineering Contractor", "(B) General Building Contractor", "(B-2) Residential Remodeling Contractor" and "(C) Specialty Contractor".

Source: Contractors State License Board, Licensing Classifications, read 16 October 2026.

Among the specialty codes on the same page are "C-10 - Electrical Contractor", "C-20 - Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor", "C-36 - Plumbing Contractor" and "C-39 - Roofing Contractor".

Source: Contractors State License Board, Licensing Classifications, read 16 October 2026.

In our reading, the classification is the part of a record people most often skip. A license can show as current and still be for a different trade than the job in front of you, so read the classification line as carefully as the status line.

What should you ask a California contractor before you search?

Ask for the license number and the exact business name first, then search both on the CSLB page and compare what comes back with what the contractor told you. The questions below are practical suggestions, not CSLB requirements.

  1. Ask which license number will appear on the written contract, and whose name the license is issued to.
  2. Ask which classification that license carries, and whether it matches the work you want done.
  3. If someone other than the contractor is selling the job, ask for that salesperson's registration number too.
  4. Search the number, then search the business name, and read the status and the classification on each result.
  5. If the name on the record differs from the name on the estimate, ask why before you sign anything.

Who sees your contact details when you post a job on InstaBids?

One point about InstaBids follows. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 16 October 2026.

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